1957 Chevy 3100 - Familiar Territory

When you're enamored by a particular year and make of car or truck, it can be a little hard to deviate from what you like when it comes time to start a new project. You often have so many ideas in your head during the build that when one is finally completed, you wonder what it would've looked like had you done things a little differently. So what do you do? Start a new project with the same kind of vehicle.

Berto Galván and his son Danny of Burleson, Texas, are '57 Chevy men. With a family-owned upholstery business, they've had an opportunity to rock out a couple Bel Airs, and when those were completed they set their sights on another '57 project. This one, however, had to have a bed. They were lucky enough to find this one nearby, though it was in pieces; intended to be someone else's project but it never really got off the ground. They knew they'd found the right candidate and wasted no time picking up where the previous owner left off.

The truck's frame had already been updated with a Mustang II frontend, Trans Am rearend, and 400ci Pontiac motor. They wanted a clean, classy build with some elements reminiscent of a Tri-Five Bel Air. The frontend and rearend were retained, but the driveline was swapped in favor of a 5.3L V-8 and 4L60E trans that came out of an '05 Denali. A '70 Mustang fuel tank was located under the bed. It all puts power to the pavement via a set of 18-inch Boyd Coddington wheels. The custom engine cover and handmade A/C clamps were all done courtesy of Main Street Customs.

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For body mods, the emblems were removed and aftermarket rearview mirrors with turn signals were installed. The step plates were welded in where rectangular exhaust tips are lined up flush with the edges. A Mar-K roll pan now sits in the back with a set of their hidden tailgate latches. Aftermarket LED lights are embedded in the pan and the bedrails were rolled into the tailgate. A '55 Chevy bumper sits up front along with a cut-down '57 Chevy grille insert mated to an aftermarket billet grille. The whole truck has been covered with a slightly lightened version of Corvette Atomic Orange.

On the inside, Berto and family got to showcase their talents. Like one of their Bel Airs, they wanted power bucket seats and got a couple out of a '95 Lexus. The headrests were removed and they now straddle an '07 Buick Lucerne center console. It's all covered in tan and orange Ultraleather and suede. American Autowire runs juice to the Vintage Air A/C unit, Dolphin gauges, and billet controls for the One-Piece power windows.

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So what's next for father and son? It looks like their '57 four-door Bel Air is in the queue for an overhaul. We're sure it'll turn out as beautiful as their 3100. Why venture into unfamiliar territory when things keep turning out this good?